Mobile armored shield.



J. W. PAGE.

MOBILE ARMORED SHIELD.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14. 19x5.

Patented July 4, 1916.

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MOBILE ARMORED sumo.

APPLICATION Fl ED 1,189,474. L Patented July 4, 1916.

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JOHN WALLACE PAGE, ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

MOBILE ARMORED SHIELD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4:, 1916.

Application filed January 14, 1915. Serial No. 2,202.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J OHN WALLACE PAGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mobile Armored Shields; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to armored shields especially adapted for use by infantrymen as a means of aifording protection against the gun fire of an opposing force, and it consists in the novel features of construction as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The marked improvement in the construction and operation of modern fire arms, together with the introduction of newly developed high explosives, has so increased the efliciency of men in warfare as to enable a comparatively small force defending a position to sweep the battlefield with such volume and accuracy of fire from magazinerifles and machineguns as to render an open offensive or frontal attack, even though of superior numerical force, extremely hazardous to attempt, and usually only successful at the expense of great sacrifice in loss of life. While material changes in the strategy and tactics employed in military operations and the adoption of various means and methods in an elfort to protect and safeguard the advance of an ofi'ensive movement have contributed in a measure to lessen the hazard of the task, still the more favorable position and effective cover retains to the defenders the balance of advantage, and it is to overcome or at least neutralize this advantage that raises the primary object of the present invention.

To this end my invention contemplates the provision of comparatively simple and efficient mobile means for afiording protection to a body of infantrymen in moving action, against the gun fire of an enemy, whether in an offensive or defensive engagement, so as to render such fire ineffective and enable a successful advance or retreat to be accomplished with'a minimum loss in casualties resulting from such action.

A further object of the invention is the embodiment in an armored shield of such a construction as will oifer effective resistanceto the penetration of projectiles in a manner to cause the destruction of the projectile and retard and retain the bursting particles against deflection to prevent injury therefrom, and which, while embracing these advantageous features will be comparatively light and readily mobile to enable it to be conveniently transported and quickly moved about at will by a detachment of soldiers, as may be required to protect an advance upon an enemys field-works or entrenchments, to shielda body of men in the construction or destruction of entanglements or entrenchments, to serve as breastworks in field engagements and as a rearguard cover in executing a retreat.

The preferred form of structure embodying the essential feature by which the above objects are attained is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of the device constructed in accordance with my invention, as it would appear in position for operation. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device and indicating by dotted lines the figures of soldiers thereon in position for action. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View taken on dotted line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on dotted line l-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail view, showing the relative arrangement of the layers forming the fabricated armor wall. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of a portion of the fabricated armor wall as formed from a continuous length of fabric wound helically.

Referring to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, 1 designates a hollow drum or cylinder which may be of any desired diameter and length,

and is preferably formed from sheet steel of a gage sufliciently light, consistent with the necessary strength, to sustain the contour of the cylinder, which may be further reinforced and strengthened by means of annu- 1) lar ribs 2 formed of angle iron and riveted,

or otherwise secured, at intervals to the inner perimeter of the cylinder. The ends of the cylinder may also be provided with annular angle iron ribs 3 riveted thereto as at 5 4: so as to position one of the sides of 'the angles radially of the cylinder in the manne'rof a vertical flange to which a-circular plate or head 5 may be'secured by bolts or rivets as at 6 to form a closure for each end 3 of said cylinder, as'shown in Fig. 3.

The cylinder thus formed is adapted to serve as a drum or spool for the support of an outer or surrounding fabricated flexible armor wall 7, and as a means of mounting this armor wall so as to yieldablysupportit free from contact with'thewall of the cylinder, and'to distribute the supporting means so as to engage the fabricated wall at intervals and sustain it in a uniform'ar'c concentrio with said cylinder, a plurality of strips of angle iron'S'a're riveted each through one of its flange portions to the periphery of'the cylinder so as to extend circumferentially and horizontally thereof and dispose its other flange portion in the form of aradially projecting spiral rib, as shown in Fig. '3. Upon these ribs the fabricated armor wall 7 is formed and supported, being composed of a plurality of layers of interwoven metal 40 strands 9, preferably of wire, which may consist of a series of superimposed single layers, or a continuous length of the fabric may be helically wound about the cylinder to form the wall of the desired thickness, as

indicated in Fig. 6. The fabric being of uniform mesh and extending over'increasing radii from the inner to the outer periphery of the wall formed thereby, will cause "the transverse strands 'in the successive layers to overlap and effecta consequent reduction in the mesh of the fabricated wall, with the result'thatthe interstices of the several layers will 'be so subdivided as to restrictthe openings in the outer layers and obstruct the alining openings of the innermost layers against direct passage therethrough. By this construction a reticulated resilient wall is formed, having varying degrees of resistance to penetration, which will readily 00 yield to cushion the force of impact of a fired projectile directed against it, and which, while notofi'ering suflicientdirect resistance to prevent penetration, will in receiving such projectile cause it to successively impinge upon the intervening 0btent impacts set up such a succession of rapid and violent counterstresses as to cause the disintegration of the projectile within the fabricated wall, where the broken par- 'ti'cles will be entrapped within the meshes so of the fabric.

In demonstrating the efiiciency of an armor shield of the above described construction, thorough experimental tests have been made with the regulation military infantry rifle from which bullets were fired at various distances into the fabricated wire wall forming the target, with the successful result that, while in some instances the outermost strands of the wall were severed, the bullets were invariably completely shattered or literally exploded upon penetrating the wallyandthe torn fragments remained embedded in the meshes of the fabric.

It is therefore apparent that the present invention is of the greatest importance as a defensive armament, not only'because of its efficiency 'inr'esisting gun fire, but, because of it's cylindrical formation, its utility is greatly enhanced through its mobility, whereby it may be readily placedor quickly shifted byrolling it upon'the ground as may be desired in maneuvering to gain an advantageous position, as well as affording an extensive circumferential area, any portion of'wliich is available for effective use at intervals by rolling the drum so as to present an unused surface when the exposed surface has become worn or damaged.

To provide means for conveniently han- 11c dling the drum to enable it to be readily moved about by abody of'men, while at the same time affording protection and serving as breastwork over which to fire upon an enemy, I l1ave shown a limb'er or traction frame- 10, which may consist of two 'side rails 11, preferably of angle iron, pivotally connected at'their forward ends respectively, and centrally'to -the ends of the cylinder 1 by means-'ofatubular shaft 12. This shaft is "supported by journal bearings 13 in the heads 5 of the cylinder, and extending through the ends "of the side rails 11 is locked'th'erewith by chained keys 1& which pass through saidside rails and through the ends of said shaft. (See Fig. 3.) The rearend's-of-said side rails are connected by a tubular shaft '15 which is secured at its ends by chained keys 14c, and journaled upon the shaft at opposite ends Within the side rails are trailer wheels 16 held in position thereon by collars 17 and adapted to bear upon the ground to carry the trailing end of the frame or limber.

One or more rods or tubes 18 may be secured at their ends within the side rails by chained keys 14 and extended across within the frame to serve as handles to be grasped. by a body of men in running the shield about, as indicated by the dotted figure in Fig. 2, in which operation it will be understood the drum will roll upon its periphery carrying the forward end of the frame upon the shaft 12, and the rear end upon the trailer wheels 16, or the rear end of the frame or limber may be lifted bodily where a sufficient number of men are available, to carry or swing it about in changing or directing the course of the drum.

A step or platform consisting of a channeled foot strip 19, having end uprights 20 attached thereto, may be suspended between the side rails of the frame by means of studs 21 extending through said uprights and side rails, and receiving through their outer ends chained keys 1 1 the height of the platform being such as to enable a rifleman standing thereon to fire over the drum, as shown by the figure indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, when employing the shield in the manner of a breastwork.

It will be noted thatas all of the connecting parts of the frame or limber are detachably locked by chained pins, which may be readily inserted and withdrawn, that the assembling and disassembling of the device may be conveniently and quickly accomplished.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An armored shield comprising a wall composed of a plurality of layers of reticulated metallic fabric superimposed and relatively disposed to cause a variable reduction in the mesh throughout the thickness of the wall, and thereby form a reticulated resilient wall yieldable to the force of impact of a projectile and offering increasing degrees of resistance at intervals to retard and deflect it against direct penetration, and means for supporting said wall upon one side thereof.

2. An armored shield comprising a wall composed of a plurality of layers of woven metal strands superimposed and relatively disposed to intercalate the strands and interstices of the successive layers so as to effect a corresponding reduction in the mesh of the fabric with the increasing thickness of the wall, whereby a projectile impinging alternately upon the strands forming and intersecting the interstices of the layers is intermittently retarded and deflected in such rapid succession of counter impacts as to arrest and neutralize the force of its energy, and means for rigidly supporting said Wall at intervals.

3. An armored shield comprising a cylindrical wall composed of a plurality of layers of woven, metal strands superimposed and relatively shifted to position the strands of the successive layers in overlapping relation and differentiate the mesh throughout the fabricated wall formed thereby,-and a cylindrical support for said wall.

4. An armored shield comprising an annular wall composed of a plurality of helically wound layers of woven metal strands superimposed and relatively combined to intercalate the strands of the successive layers and graduate the mesh throughout the body of the wall formed thereby, a cylindrical support for said wall, and bearing members interposed at intervals between said support and wall upon one side thereof.

5. An armored shield comprising a cylinder having radially extending ribs at intervals of its periphery, an outer wall supported on said ribs concentric with said cylinder and composed of a plurality of superimposed layers of reticulated metallic fabric relatively staggered to vary and restrict the mesh of the wall as compared to that of the successive layers, and form a reticulated armor wall of a drum adapted to roll upon the ground and serve as a shield to arrest fired projectiles.

6. In a rolling armored shield, an inner cylinder closed at its ends and having a plurality of radially extending ribs on its periphery, an outer armor wall supported on said ribs concentric with said cylinder and composed of a plurality of layers of woven wire fabric of varying mesh forming the peripheral wall of a drum adapted to roll upon the ground, a limber frame pivoted to the ends of said cylinder and adapted to trail upon the ground, and having handle bars by which said frame and drum may be manually moved.

7. In a rolling armored shield, an inner cylinder closed at its ends and having a plurality of radially extending spiral ribs disposed at intervals on its periphery, an outer armor wall supported on said ribs and composed of a plurality of layers of woven wire fabric forming the peripheral wall of a drum adapted to roll upon the armor wall of a drum adapted to roll upon thdgreuxid, in which the successive layers are relatively staggered t0 interealate and restrict the meshes and obstruct the interstices 0f the .Wall' against direct passage therethrough, whereby a projectile in penetrating the .yvall is deflected and retarded by successive impingement upon a plurality of layers and the force of its energy is neuitralized.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

' JOHN WALLACE PAGE. Witnesses:

B. F. WHEELER,- M. E. BROEsAMLE.

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